Electrical connector with contact shielding module

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector is provided having a housing with a connector mating side configured to receive a mating connector, a board mating side configured to be mounted to a circuit board and a contact exit side. The housing holds a contact that includes a contact body extending between a connector mating end and a board engaging end of the contact. The connector mating end is configured to join with the mating connector, while the board engaging end is configured to engage the circuit board. The contact body has an enclosed portion passing through the housing and an exposed portion extending from the contact exit side of the housing. A shielding module is provided immediately adjacent to the contact exit side of the housing and fitted around the exposed portion of the contact which extends between the contact exit side of the housing and the board mating end of the contact to shield the exposed portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector withan add-on contact shielding module.

Electrical connectors are used today in a wide variety of applications,one area of which concerns connectors configured to interconnect coaxialcables with printed circuit boards. In some applications, right angleconnectors are used to join the coaxial cables with the circuit board.The connector includes a cable mating face that can be configured tomate with either a connector plug or jack on the end of a coaxial cable.The cable mating face is formed at a right angle to the bottom of theconnector, with the bottom being configured to be mounted to a circuitboard. Contacts extend from the cable mating connector mating facethrough the housing of the connector and out a back side of the housing.The contacts are bent at a right angle to extend downward to engagecontacts or vias on the circuit board.

However, conventional right angle coaxial connectors have met withcertain disadvantages. In coaxial connectors, the signal contacts, thatexit the connector housing before being joined to vias in the circuitboard, expose a portion of the contact body to an open, ambient airenvironment. The portion of each contact that extends through airrepresents a non-shielded and non-impedance controlled area that mayintroduce signal transmission problems, such as cross talk,electromagnetic interference, impedance mismatch, digital bit errors andthe like. Today, as data transmission rates increase, the need increasesfor fewer signal transmission errors. Many new high speed applicationstoday require a very high level of shielding and impedance control. Yet,it is desirable to avoid the need to develop an entirely new connectorconfiguration for such high speed applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An electrical connector is provided having a housing with a connectormating side configured to receive a mating connector, a board matingside configured to be mounted to a circuit board and a contact exitside. The housing holds a contact including a contact body extendingbetween a connector mating end and a board engaging end of the contact.The connector mating end of the contact is configured to join with themating connector, while the board engaging end is configured to engagethe circuit board. The contact body has an enclosed portion passingthrough the housing and an exposed portion extending from the contactexit side of the housing to the board mating end of the contact. Ashielding module is provided immediately adjacent the contact exit sideof the housing and fitted around the exposed portion of the contact toshield the exposed portion.

The shielding module may be formed with first and second shieldingcomponents that are mated with one another in a tongue and grooveconfiguration about the exposed portion of the contact. Optionally, theshielding module may be mounted to the contact exit side of the housingor alternatively merely provided immediately adjacent the contact exitside of the housing without any direct connection to the housing.Optionally, the shielding module may include an L-shaped channel formedto fit around an L-shaped portion of the contact. The shielding modulemay be configured to be fit to the housing of a right angle board tocoaxial connector.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment, a shielding module isprovided that is configured to be fitted to an electrical connector thatincludes a housing and a contact. The connector is of the type where thehousing includes a board mating side configured to be mounted to acircuit board and includes a contact exit side. The contact includes acontact body having an enclosed portion passing through the housing andan exposed portion extending from the contact exit side of the housing.The shielding module comprises first and second shielding componentsthat are provided immediately adjacent to the contact exit side of thehousing and fitted around the exposed portion of the contact to shieldthe exposed portion of the contact.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side sectional view of a two position electricalconnector with a shielding module mounted thereto in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1with the shielding module removed.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the electrical connector of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a shielding module formed inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top perspective view of a tongue component of theshielding module of FIG. 4 formed in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side perspective view of the mating face of thetongue component of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a rear perspective view of the tongue component ofFIG. 5.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side perspective view of a groove component of theshielding module of FIG. 4 formed in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side sectional view of a single position connectorwith a shielding module providing thereon in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a side sectional view of a two position connector 10formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. By wayof example only, the connector 10 may represent a BNC connector (e.g.Bayonet Neill Councelman) having two BNC jacks 12 and 14 at a frontconnector mating face 16. The BNC jacks 12 and 14 are configured toreceive mating connectors. By way of example only, the mating connectorsmay represent coaxial cables, such as the RG-58 A/U cable used with 10Base-2 Ethernet systems. The BNC jacks 12 and 14 may be joined with BNCconnectors mounted at an end of a cable, where the BNC connector has acenter pin connected to a center cable connector and a metal tubeconnected to an outer cable shield, with a rotating ring outside of thetube used to lock the cable to the BNC jacks 12 and 14. Alternatively, awide variety of connector interfaces may be substituted for the BNCjacks 12 and 14, such as used with network interface cards, monitors,video adapters and the like.

The connector 10 also includes an insulated housing 18 that isconfigured to retain the BNC jacks 12 and 14. The housing 18 includes abottom forming a board mating side 20 that is configured to be mountedon the surface of a circuit board 2. A metallized post 22 extendsdownward from the board mating side 20 and is configured to be securelyreceived within a hole or via in the circuit board 2. In the embodimentof FIG. 1, the connector 10 represents a right angle BNC-to-printedcircuit board connector. The housing 18 includes two cavities thatreceive the BNC jacks 12 and 14, respectively. Each BNC jack 12 and 14includes a conductive grounded outer shell 24 that surrounds adielectric layer 26 which has a passage 28 there through. Each passage28 securely captivates a signal contact 30 to provide rigid control ofthe position and orientation of the contact 30.

The contact 30 includes a contact body 32 which extends between aconnector mating end 34 and a board engaging end 36 of the contact 30.The connector mating end 34 is configured to engage a center pin of aBNC connector on a coaxial cable, while the board engaging end 36 isconfigured to be inserted a via in a circuit board. Optionally, theconnector mating end 34 and board engaging end 36 may be modified to avariety of other configurations. The contact 30 is bent at a right anglesuch that an enclosed portion 38 of the contact body 32 extendshorizontally along an axis 42 that is oriented parallel to the boardmating side 20 (and thus to the surface of the circuit board 2 to whichthe connector 10 is mounted). The enclosed portion 38 is surrounded bythe dielectric layer 26. The enclosed portion 38 transitions to anexposed portion 40 of the contact body 32 at a right angle bend 44. Theright angle bend 44 orients the exposed portion 40 at a right angle ororthogonal to the board mating side 20 of the housing 18. Optionally,the enclosed portion 38 and the exposed portion 40 may be oriented atdifferent angles with respect to one another and with respect to theboard mating side 20 depending on the type of, and application for, theconnector 10.

The connector 10 includes a contact exit side 46 oriented parallel to,and positioned opposing, the contact mating side 16. The contact exitside 46 is also oriented at a right angle to the board mating side 20.Optionally, the connector mating side 16, board mating side 20 andcontact exit side 46 may be oriented at other non-orthogonal angles withrespect to one another. Each contact 30 exits the contact exit side 46of the housing 18 and is redirected at bend 44 downward toward thecircuit board 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the contacts 30 are arrangedin an over-under or stacked alignment with respect to the circuit board2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the connector 10 (with the shieldingmodule 50 removed) to better illustrate the rear ends 25 of eachgrounded outer shell 24 of the BNC jacks 12 and 14 (FIG. 1). Groundingwires 27 (shown as manufactured without consideration for the use ofshielding module 50) are joined to the rear ends 25 of the outer shells24 to interconnect the outer shells 24 with the ground plane of thecircuit board 2 (FIG. 1). Holes 47 are provided in the contact exit side46 of the housing 18. The holes 47 align with holes 80 in components 66and 68 (FIG. 3) to receive pins that hold the components 66 and 68 in adesired position proximate the contact exit side 46.

Returning to FIG. 1, a shielding module 50 is mounted to the housing 18and abuts against the contact exit side 46 of the connector 10. Theshielding module 50 is formed separate from the connector 10 and may befitted to new connectors 10, or with modifications, added ontopreviously assembled connectors 10. The shielding module 50 is formed ofa metallized material and has a connector engaging surface 52 and aboard mating surface 54. The shielding module 50 includes separatechannels 56 and 58 having discharge ends at the connector engagingsurface 52 and board mating surface 54. The channels 56 and 58 areentirely isolated from one another by a shielding wall 60 formedtherebetween. Posts 62 extend from the board mating surface 54 and areconfigured to be securely received in a hole or via in the circuit boardto which the shielding module 50 is mounted. The posts 62 are metallizedin order to establish a grounded connection between the grounding planeof the circuit board 2 and the shielding module 50.

The housing 18 includes a platform 48 extending rearward therefrom. Theplatform 48 is formed of an insulated material, as is the housing 18.The platform 48 includes holes there through that accept the contactbody 32 at a close tolerance to maintain each contact 30 in a desiredposition with respect to one another.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the connector 10 and shieldingmodule 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the connector 10 includes an outer shell24 on each BNC jack 12 and 14. The contact exit side 46 of the connector10 is formed in a stepped configuration with projections 64 extendingrearward. As explained below in more detail, the projections 64 fit inan interleaved manner with features on the connector engaging surfaces51 and 52 of the shielding module 50. As better illustrated in FIG. 3,the shielding module 50 is comprised of separate components 66 and 68that join with one another, such as in a tongue and grooveconfiguration.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the components 66 and 68forming the shielding module 50. Each component 66 and 68 include aconnector engaging surface 51 and 52, a top surface 70 and 71, and outersides 72 and 74 facing away from one another, respectively. Interiorsurfaces 76 and 78 face toward one another and are configured to abutagainst one another. Each component 66 and 68 also includes a boardmating surface 54 and 55. Notched outer portions 80 are provided toreceive the projections 64 (FIG. 3) extending from the contact exit side46 of the housing 18. Apertures 82 are provided in the rear surfaces 84of the components 66 and 68. The apertures 82 extend through thecomponents 66 and 68 and are configured to receive pins that projectinto the holes 47 (FIG. 2) in the contact exit side 46 of the housing 18to hold the components 66 and 68 firmly against one another and againstthe housing 18, and in a desired position with respect to the exposedportions 40 of the contacts 30 (FIG. 1).

FIG. 5 illustrates a rear perspective view of the component 66 to betterillustrate the features formed within the interior surface 78. Thecomponent 66 includes channels 86 and 88 notched into the interiorsurface 78. The channel 86 is bordered on opposite sides by ribs 90 and92 that project outward beyond a plane of the interior surface 78 in thedirection of arrow 94. The rib 92 and wall 60 collectively separatechannels 86 and 88. Channel 86 includes open ends 96 and 98 that arepositioned against the contact exit side 46 of the housing 18 (FIG. 1)and the surface of the circuit board 2. Channel 88 has open sides 100and 102 that also abut against the contact exit side 46 of the housing18 and the surface of the circuit board 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side perspective view of the component 66 to betterillustrate the channel 86 that extends entirely through the component 66as well as the open ends 96 and 98 of the channel 86. As more clearlyshown in FIG. 6, the channel 86 may be provided with an L-shape tofollow the contour of the exposed portion 40 of contact 30 (FIG. 1).FIG. 6 illustrates the channel 88 to include open sides 100 and 102. Theinterior surface 78 includes a ground wire receiving hole 104 whichextends partially into interior surface 78. The hole 104 accepts one ofthe ground wires 27 (FIG. 2) that extends from the rear end 25 of theouter shell 24 (FIG. 3) and the ground wires 27 are mechanically stakedto component 66 to provide an electrical connection through thecomponent 66 and downward to engage the ground plane of the circuitboard 2.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the component 66 to betterillustrate the contour of the outer surface 74. As also shown in FIG. 7,the open end 96 forms a semi-circular opening in order to be loaded ontothe exposed portion 40 of the contact 30 from the side after the contact30 is loaded into, or formed with, the housing 18.

FIG. 8 illustrates a front perspective view of the component 68 that isconfigured to mate with the component 66 (FIGS. 5-7). The component 68includes the top 71, interior surface 76, board mating surface 55 andouter surface 72. The interior surface 76 includes channels 106 and 108cut therein. Channel 106 is bordered by grooves 110 and 112 that areconfigured to mate with the ribs 90 and 92 on component 66. The channel106 is L-shaped and has an open end 114 configured to abut against thecontact exit side 46 of the housing 18 (FIG. 1). The channel 106 furtherincludes open end 116 configured to engage, and be located proximate, asurface of the circuit board 2. The groove 110 is also L-shaped toreceive the L-shaped rib 90 (FIG. 5).

Aperture 82 extends through the component 68 to receive a pin whichretains the component 68 against the contact exit side 46 of the housing18. A hole 118 extends partially into component 68 is configured toreceive the ground wire 27 extending from the outer shell 24 of the BNCjack 14 (FIG. 1). The ground wire 27, extending into hole 118 ismechanically staked to component 68 to provide and electrical connectionthrough component 68 and downward to engage the ground plane of thecircuit board 2.

FIG. 9 illustrates a connector 210 formed in accordance with analternative embodiment. The connector 210 represents a single positiontype connector having a single BNC jack 212 with an outer shell 224 heldwithin a housing 218. The housing 218 has a connector mating side 216, aboard mating side 220 and a contact exit side 246. The connector 210 isjoined to a shield module 250 having a board mating surface 254 and aconnector engaging surface 252. A passage 256 is formed through theshielding module 50 to accept and shield an exposed portion 240 of acontact 230. The contact 230 has a connector mating end 234 and a boardengaging end 236. The contact 230 also includes an enclosed portion 238held within a dielectric layer 226. The dielectric layer 226 separatesthe contact 230 from the shell 224.

The passages through the shielding modules form an air cavity around thecorresponding signal contact that provides shielding and impedancecontrol for each individual signal contact. The shielding componentsjoined with one another to form the shielding modules are interconnectedin a tongue and groove manner to avoid leakage of electromagnetic fieldsat the interface between the components of the shielding module. Theexposed portions of the contacts do not touch the shielding module, butinstead are surrounded by an air pocket within each isolated passage.

While the invention has been described in terms of various specificembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventioncan be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of theclaims.

1. An electrical connector, comprising: a housing having a connectormating side configured to receive a mating connector, a board matingside configured to be mounted to a circuit board, and a contact exitside; a dielectric layer held in said housing and terminating at saidcontact exit side; a contact held in said dielectric layer in saidhousing and having a contact body extending between a connector matingend and a board engaging end of said contact, said connector mating endbeing configured to join with the mating connector, said board engagingend being configured to engage the circuit board, said contact bodyhaving an enclosed portion within said dielectric layer passing throughsaid housing and an exposed portion extending from said contact exitside of said housing beyond said dielectric layer to the circuit board;and a shielding module provided immediately adjacent said contact exitside of said housing and fitted around said exposed portion of saidcontact extending between said contact exit side of said housing andsaid board mating end of the contact to shield said exposed portion,wherein said shielding module includes first and second componentshaving partial channels formed therein, said partial channels fittingwithin one another to surround said exposed portion of said contact,said partial channels being separated from said exposed portion by anair gap.
 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first andsecond shielding components mate with one another in a tongue-and-grooveconfiguration about said exposed portion of said contact.
 3. Theelectrical connector of claim 1, wherein said housing includes aplatform extending rearward from said contact exit side said shieldingmodule is mounted on said platform.
 4. The electrical connector of claim1, wherein said contact exit side of said housing is oriented at anon-parallel angle with said board mating side of said housing such thatsaid contact exit side extends away from the circuit board when saidboard mating side is mounted in an abutting relation to the circuitboard.
 5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said shieldingmodule includes an L-shaped channel formed to fit around said exposedportion of said contact.
 6. (canceled)
 7. An electrical connector,comprising: a housing having a connector mating side configured toreceive a mating connector, a board mating side configured to be mountedto a circuit board, and a contact exit side, said housing including aplatform extending rearward from said contact exit side and having ahole therethrough; a contact held in said housing and having a contactbody extending between a connector mating end and a board engaging endof said contact, said connector mating end being configured to join withthe mating connector, said board engaging end being configured to engagethe circuit board, said contact body having an enclosed portion passingthrough said housing and an exposed portion extending from said contactexit side of said housing to the circuit board; and a shielding moduleprovided on said platform and located immediately adjacent said contactexit side of said housing and fitted around said exposed portion of saidcontact extending between said contact exit side of said housing andsaid board mating end of the contact to shield said exposed portion,wherein said shielding module includes first and second componentsjoined to one another at contact engaging faces to form a channel tosurround said exposed portion of said contact, said exposed portion ofsaid contact extending from said channel and through said hole in saidplatform, said hole maintaining a close tolerance to said exposedportion to maintain said contact in a desired position with respect tosaid channel.
 8. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprisinga grounding shell provided in said housing and surrounding said contact,and a dielectric layer separating said grounding shell from said contactin a coaxial arrangement.
 9. The electrical connector of claim 1,wherein said exposed portion of said contact includes a bend to orientsaid board engaging end orthogonal to the circuit board.
 10. Theelectrical connector of claim 1, wherein said connector mating and boardmating sides of said housing are oriented at a right angle with oneanother.
 11. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said shieldingmodule is configured to be retrofitted to a right angle board-to-coaxialconnector type of said housing.
 12. A shielding module configured to befitted to an electrical connector that includes a housing and a contact,the housing including a board mating side configured to be mounted to acircuit board and a contact exit side, the contact including a contactbody having an enclosed portion passing through said housing and anexposed portion extending from the contact exit side of the housing, theshielding module comprising: first and second shielding componentsprovided immediately adjacent the contact exit side of the housing, thefirst and second shielding components having partial channels fittingwith one another around the exposed portion of the contact extendingbetween the contact exit side of the housing and a board mating end ofthe contact to shield the exposed portion of the contact, said partialchannels being separated from said exposed portion only by an air gapand without any dielectric layer therebetween.
 13. The shielding moduleof claim 12, wherein said first and second shielding components matewith one another in a tongue-and-groove configuration about the exposedportion of the contact.
 14. The shielding module of claim 12, whereinsaid shielding module is mounted to the contact exit side of the housingand abutting against a rear end of an outer shell held in the housing.15. The shielding module of claim 12, wherein at least one of said firstand second shielding components includes an L-shaped channel formed tofit around the exposed portion of the contact.
 16. The shielding moduleof claim 12, wherein said first and second components each have partialchannels formed therein, said partial channels fitting within oneanother to surround the exposed portion of the contact.
 17. Theshielding module of claim 12, wherein said first and second componentshave contact engaging faces joining with one another to surround theexposed portion of the contact, said contact engaging face of said firstcomponent including a rib projecting outward from said contact engagingface, said contact engaging face of said second component including anotch configured to receive said rib when said first and secondcomponents are mated with one another.
 18. The shielding module of claim12, wherein said first and second components include a board engagingend configured to abut against a circuit board and a connector engagingend configured to abut against the contact exit side of the housing. 19.The shielding module of claim 13, wherein said first and secondcomponents are configured to be retrofit to a right angleboard-to-coaxial connector.
 20. The electrical connector of claim 1,wherein said housing includes a platform extending rearward from saidcontact exit side, said platform having a hole therethrough, saidexposed portion of said contact extending from said partial channels andthrough said hole in said platform, said hole maintaining a closetolerance to said exposed portion to maintain said contact in a desiredposition with respect to said partial channels.